Mortal: The Path to Immortality

The three returned to their lodgings and discussed the matter all night.

Lu Nanzhu weighed the pros and cons repeatedly. Staying in Hujiabao would save them from too much hardship, but if the Fu family was determined to launch a strong attack before the arrival of the demonic reinforcements, then this was not a place to stay for long.

Although the escort mission involved a long journey, it avoided the main battlefield.

Ultimately, considering the generous gift of sandalwood and a series of other factors, the three reached a consensus.

The following morning, the three of them formally agreed to Madam Xie's request and decided to participate in the escort mission.

Several nights later, when most of the fighting force of the Hu family fortress had been dispatched to various strongholds and the entire stone fortress was silent, a small team took advantage of the darkness to secretly board several giant mechanical puppet birds.

These birds are crafted entirely from ebony wood. They are not only incredibly fast, but also spread their wings silently, and can blend seamlessly into the night through the concealed patterns on their surfaces.

As she bid farewell, Madam Xie took one last look at the puppet bird, which carried the young disciples who would become the future of the Hu family.

She then remained silent for a while without saying anything, before turning back to the main hall.

Meanwhile, on the back of one of the bird puppets, a girl dressed in light blue clothes gripped the railing tightly, looking at Madam Xie's back.

"I'm gone."

A calm whisper came from beside him as a Foundation Establishment cultivator piloted a flying bird, preparing for takeoff.

The mechanical bird's eyes flashed with a faint light, and it silently rose from the ground, speeding northward toward the distant Dongyu Kingdom.

......

Meanwhile, within the territory of the Western Yuanwu Kingdom, in a spiritual vein stronghold forcibly occupied by the Fu family.

A brightly lit attic, filled with the aroma of fine wine.

Fu Kuangzheng, a member of the Fu family, sat to one side, his face full of humble and ingratiating smiles, diligently pouring wine for the young man in the head seat.

The young man wore a deep purple robe with gold trim. He was extremely handsome, and his long, narrow eyes had a fierce look about them, like those of a venomous snake.

This young cultivator in the mid-Foundation Establishment stage is none other than Helian Yu, the young master of the Demon Flame Sect.

"Young Master, drink this cup to the brim." Fu Kuang raised his cup, his words full of flattery. "If it weren't for the Young Master's assistance in this battle, providing my Fu family with so much resources and manpower, it would have been a pipe dream for my Fu family to occupy half of the spiritual veins of Xiyuanwu Kingdom in just a few years."

Helian Yu took the wine glass, but didn't drink it. Instead, he gently stroked the glass with his fingers, a smile playing on his lips.

"Fellow Daoist Fu, you are too kind. Since my Demon Flame Sect has chosen to cooperate with the Fu family, we naturally hope to see a powerful and obedient Fu family."

"I'm just curious, how could this small Hu Family Fortress, with just a few puppets and formations, withstand several attempts by our two families to gradually encroach upon it... The Hu family's puppetry techniques are more interesting than I imagined."

"Young Master is wise!" Fu Kuang quickly responded, a ruthless glint in his eyes. "The Hu family is nothing but withered bones in a tomb, struggling in their death throes."

Soon, once the Hu family fortress is breached, the Fu family will surely find and present their secret puppetry techniques to their young master.

"The puppet technique is a minor matter." Helian Yu downed the wine in his cup in one gulp, his eyes instantly turning cold. "What this young master truly cares about is the sect's plan."

The Fu family must quickly become the head of the Demon Flame Sect in the Western Yuan Martial Kingdom and take over all the spiritual veins and mines.

Upon hearing this, Fu Kuang felt a chill run down his spine and quickly patted his chest to assure everyone, "Please rest assured, young master. Our ancestor is currently recruiting talents from all directions, and the results are remarkable. Many rogue cultivators have joined the Fu family, and we have even recruited a pseudo-core cultivator."

Those territories that were seized are now completely under the control of the Fu family.

"Oh? That's good then." Helian Yu stood up, walked to the window and looked in the direction of Hu Family Fortress. "When Uncle Sun and Uncle Mo from the sect finish dealing with the border matters and arrive, that will be the time when the Hu family and the Qin family will be wiped out."

At that time, in the cultivation world of the Western Yuan Martial Kingdom, there will only be the voice of your Fu family.

Fu Kuang's face lit up with excitement, and he drank a few more cups.

"Report—!"

Just as the two were toasting and discussing their future, a cultivator from the Fu family rushed in looking flustered.

"Young Master, Young Master! The scouts sent to the north side of Hu Family Fortress have reported that a group of people have secretly left the fortress under the cover of night and are heading north at full speed!" The cultivator knelt on one knee, his tone urgent.

"The other party was using an unknown magical artifact. It was very fast and extremely stealthy. If we hadn't set up a 'Spirit Sensing Array' there in advance, we probably wouldn't have been able to detect it."

"North?" Fu Kuang's hand tightened around his wine glass. "The north is a desolate mountain range, with no influence of the Fu family there. What is the meaning of this, you scoundrel Hu family?"

Helian Yu took a sip of wine, seemingly sensing something, and said, "To the north is the Eastern Yu Kingdom; they are trying to escape."

The Eastern Yu Kingdom is a neutral territory; neither the righteous path, the demonic path, nor the Heavenly Dao Alliance can start a war there. If they were to escape into the Eastern Yu Kingdom, it would be quite troublesome.

He abruptly stood up, flicked his long robe, and gave the order to those outside:

"Pass down my order: the Demon Flame Sect disciples in the vicinity, assemble immediately and use those 'Winged Fire Falcons' to give chase."

He then turned to Fu Kuang and said, "Fellow Daoist Fu, you should also bring the Fu family cultivators with you. Since they dared to leave the cave, let's make sure none of them go back."

Fu Kuang was overjoyed upon hearing this and immediately accepted with clasped hands.

A moment later, the cry of birds came from the stronghold, and they transformed into several streaks of light that plunged into the northern night sky.

......

A few days later, the sky was filled with the glow of sunset.

At this moment, the group escorted by the Hu family cultivators had already crossed the desolate mountains in the north and was about to reach the Eastern Yu Kingdom.

Lu Nanzhu stood on the back of the puppet bird, and could vaguely see the rolling green mountains along the border of Dongyu Kingdom at the end of his vision.

Just as everyone breathed a sigh of relief, the warning indicator on the tail of the flying bird puppet suddenly glowed bright red.

Lu Nanzhu frowned, his divine sense swept around sharply, and his expression instantly darkened.

"Someone's catching up!" someone suddenly shouted.

Several red dots, imbued with a strong aura of blood, were rapidly enlarging in the air.

Upon seeing this, the Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Hu family leading the group changed his expression drastically and shouted sharply, "Quickly! Full speed ahead! It's the Fu family's pursuers!"

After saying that, he took out a few mid-grade spirit stones from his storage bag and quickly stuffed them into the round energy slot on the back of the bird.

The puppet bird emitted a piercing mechanical roar, its speed suddenly increasing, leaving several pale trails of smoke in the air.

However, the red dot behind them was not left behind; instead, it got closer and closer.

With a mournful cry, several "Winged Fire Falcons" with blood-red flames burning all over their bodies and crimson eyes broke through the clouds.

Helian Yu sat steadily on the back of the most ferocious bird at the front, his black hair dancing wildly, his eyes filled with joy.

"I thought they were some kind of treasure, but they're just a few puppets." Helian Yu spat, looking with some pain at the feathers of the ferocious birds at his feet, dulled by the burning of their life essence. "They actually ran so fast, forcing this young master to have 'Winged Fire Falcon' lose its lifespan. They truly deserve to die!"

"Take it down!" Fu Kuang shouted from the side, brandishing his long spear.

In an instant, countless talismans, fireballs, and various magical streaks rained down like a storm, engulfing the bird puppets.

"We can't get rid of this. If this continues, we'll die here before we even reach Dongyu Kingdom!" The leading cultivator, surnamed Hu, was covered in sweat, struggling to hold on with a shield-like magical artifact.

At this critical moment, the silent girl in green suddenly rushed to the head of the flying bird and said to the cultivator controlling the puppet:

"These puppet birds have embedded defensive formations. Quick, rotate them three times counter-clockwise to activate the protective formation!"

The driver was slightly taken aback, then suddenly jerked the control lever at the girl's command.

Om-!

A layer of pale golden spiritual energy shield instantly appeared on the surface of several flying birds.

The roaring attacks struck the shield, only creating ripples, but failing to harm the puppet itself in the slightest.

Lu Nanzhu, standing to the side, gave the girl a deep look and thought to himself: This girl is so familiar with the structure of puppets, she must be quite something.

Seeing his attack thwarted, Helian Yu's previously playful expression turned grim.

"Overestimating one's abilities."

He suddenly took a step forward, standing upright on the back of the bird, his hands moving like afterimages, forming strange hand seals. His fingertips tapped several acupoints on his dantian and chest, and his eyes strangely emitted a purplish-red demonic light.

He suddenly opened his mouth and spewed out a huge burst of purplish-red flames. The flames swelled in the wind and instantly shattered the pale golden protective shields.

The two closest flying bird puppets were even set ablaze by the demonic fire because they didn't have time to dodge.

With a piercing scream, the puppet carrying more than a dozen members of the Hu family transformed into two enormous fireballs and plummeted straight down into the deep valley below.